I wanted to read “The Estate” because I loved some of the earlier work from this author and because I love books based in Scotland.
The story is well written, very fast paced in some places and a bit slow in the others. The books is entertaining enough if you want unwind and to spend 2-3 cosy evenings without any mental strain.

While the book does many things right, its exploration of financial crime themes didn't quite resonate with me, leaving me feeling somewhat disconnected from the characters and their journeys. Although I may not follow the series further, I believe this book holds charm for those drawn to its specific themes and setting.

Mid-interview, billionaire Sebastian Pallinder dies - leaving his family trying to pick up the pieces. When other members of his family are targeted - disappearing or even dying - it becomes increasingly apparent that other forces are at work and that their estate may not be as secure as it first appears.

This is the first Denzil Meyrick book I've read in a few years and whilst I did find the pacing a touch slow, I did enjoy the book on the whole. 4*.

4+
Sebastian Pallander CEO of hedge fund Pallander Glossop expires dramatically mid TV interview in Davos, Switzerland. His will makes for interesting reading as the five siblings and his wife Elizabeth find that, although a sum of money wings it’s way into their accounts, they expected way more, after all Papa was a multibillionaire. Especially hard-hit is his eldest daughter, Tabitha, the company CFO, who expects to be CEO, but instead is demoted. What is going on? The youngest son Jean-Luc decides to strike a blow, but not for the reasons you might think and it doesn’t go quite to plan to the horror of his family. Entering into the fraught scene is DI Cara Salt of the Succession, Inheritance and Executory branch of Glasgow’s Serious Crime Squad and the latest recruit to the team, DS Abernathy Blackstock. The latter is quite a surprise to Cara and there’s way more to Blackstock than meets the eye, and the same is true of the Pallander case.

I’ve enjoyed reading Denzil Meyrick’s books for several years now and this is another cracker of a read in what I hope will be a new series. It’s a well thought out, fast paced, ever changing plot that is immersive and makes for compelling reading. The case seems to expand by the minute and becomes increasingly sinister with several characters having much to fear. There’s a game afoot with no rules and no holds barred. It’s an exciting, tense and suspenseful mystery, combined with a high octane thriller resulting in a multiple twisty rollercoaster of a ride which dramatically derails for some. It gets twistier by the day, I thoroughly enjoy the financial shenanigans, which do have a measure of believability about them, considering what we already know about the world of finance. There’s huge greed here, deception which is off the charts and gut punching betrayal as a massive conspiracy begins to reveal itself.
It’s a riveting read with a shocker of an ending, delivering surprise after surprise.

The cast of starring characters are very well portrayed with Cara at the centre, a very likeable carrier of heavy baggage.

Highly entertaining, and one I can recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Transworld for the much appreciated arc return for an honest review.

The Estate by Denzil Meyrick.
I have read every one of Denzil's books whose writing just gets better with every new title, he has truly now become the master of his craft!
The Estate finds the reader immersed into the strange bedfellows of international hedge funds and the Scottish Aristocracy followed by mafia subplots which provides ample opportunities for multiple twists and turns throughout a gripping storyline which will leave you guessing right up until the final reveal.
A true page turner and up there with the best crime writing there is!

Thank you to Net Galley for the Arc for an honest review.

I love Denzil Meryrick's work and I found this very interesting. The story moves along at a good pace, but unfortunately I didn't find it quite as pulling as his other stand alone, Terms of Restitution. The opening chapter did pull me in and really set the scene however some chapters for me took a lot of focus to read. The characters are interesting and I may re-read this in the future. I am looking forward to anything else he writes weather it be another stand alone or another DCI Daley book.

The Estate by Denzil Meyrick - out in the UK 9 May 24

Billionaire Sebastian Pallander dies suddenly and his will is full of surprises. When one of his sons dies soon after, the family are left fighting for survival. So, they gather at their Perthshire estate to brave it out. But who’s behind it all? It’s up to DI Cara Salt to protect them and find out who’s guilty.

I like Denzil’s writing. There’s a wry sense of humour that runs through even the darkest moments. He’s great at describing his settings, especially the Scottish countryside.

I wasn’t as keen on a couple of passages about the evils of finance (even if I agree), I just wanted the story to keep moving, and I felt things got a bit convoluted towards the end.

But it was exciting. It had me turning those pages. I’d happily go on another adventure with Cara.

Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld for a DRC to review in my own words.

Image: book cover featuring estate house

DI Cara Salt works in the Succession, Inheritance and Executory Department of the police force. She is paired with old school aristocrat DS Blackstock to look into the will of a powerful owner of a finance company who has a grand house in Scotland.
After the reading of the will the family inheritors are put under threat. Cara is tasked with protecting the family but she is soon put in danger herself. The novel quickly evolves into a very fast-paced, action packed thriller with surprising results.
A great and very visual read which I can imagine would be an exciting film with lots of interesting characters and locations.
Thank you very much to the publishers for the ARC.

What a wild ride you get with this book. The action never lets up and the storyline is all encompassing. This my best read of 2024 and I would highly recommend this book.

This is a new author for me. I haven't read any of his other series.
This is a new protagonist, DI Cara Salt, so room for a new series to follow. She is a likeable character with a good back story.
The book centres around a wealthy family and their hedgefund business being targeted by criminals.
Personally I'm not a fan of business stories with Russians/baddies in pursuit. A tad boring for me.
Having said that, it was well written and the pace was good with lots of action and twists.

Absolutely excellent! Another triumph from the pen of Denzil! The writing is superb, the storytelling riveting, and with a great cast of characters it’s a sure-fired success . Definitely highly recommended. *****

I found this novel entertaining. It was fast-paced with a lot of interesting well-developed characters. however, I found the legal and financial parts a little confusing.

I have read all Denzil Meyrick previous books and love the DCI Daley series. I am not sure about this one . I had worked it out quite early on and found it all a bit stilted and obvious. It could be the start of a new series with Cara Salt and may take a while to get into a stride.

I’ve read most of Denzil’s books so I knew this would be good. The story revolves around a wealthy family in crisis after a huge change in circumstances. All the characters have baggage that impinges on their decisions. The action moves between Perthshire, London and Europe and includes references to Covid, the war in Ukraine and the rise of foreign investment in the UK. Cara Salt is a DI in a quiet police department who is tasked with looking into the Pallender family’s current problems. I predicted the ending fairly early on but it just encouraged me to keep reading to see if I was right. It’s definitely a ‘just one more chapter’ book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Transworld publishers for a prepublication ebook.

DI Cara Salt has been stuck in a Police Scotland backwater since a firearms incident when she seriously injured an innocent man.

One day she is summoned to see the ACC with her mysterious new DS to look into the death of an eco warrior.

The eco warrior's father is a hedge fund manager who he as also just died live on camera at the DAVOS conference.

It soon becomes apparent that his whole entitled family is being targeted by mysterious forces and Cara is forced to carry a gun again as she doesn't know who to trust

A departure from DCI Daley books for Denzil Meyrick but a good direction to go in!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Random House Publishing for the chance to read and review this book.

I enjoyed the pace of this book, this added to the suspense and it had you asking questions about who / who you cannot trust.

A mega-rich family is about to find out their life of luxury is disappearing with the death of the head of the family, Sebastian Pallander, who has left precious little for his wife and children to squabble over. To make matters worse, when somebody gets murdered, the others gather together for safety. But what if the threat comes from within?

In his writing, the author conveys not only the petty rivalries and internecine conflict within the family - along with various characters' secrets and lies - but also the brooding atmosphere at the gathering.

This is an intriguing and fast-paced story taking place amidst seething tensions and the dark motives held by some. An enjoyable read.

There is no denying that Denzil Meyrick has established himself as one of the leading writers of the crime thriller. The DCI Daley and Scott series is the perfect blend of gripping dramas, police procedural and wry humour.

The Estate introduces new lead protagonist- DI Cara Salt- haunted by an action from the past and a father who expected more from her. Finding herself sidelined into the Succession, Inheritance and Executory department, she feels lost and trapped in mundanity that is until the death of mega rich billionaire Sebastian Pallander live on TV
.
His death leaves his privileged family in turmoil as their inheritance is far from expected; this tragedy is followed by the violent death of one of his children a few weeks later- all is not what it seems. Are the rest of the family in danger?

DI Salt is partnered with DS Abernathy Blackstock- a man also from a privileged past- and the interplay between the two characters brings to light Denzil Metric's skill for bring together two very differing personalities intertwining humour and a dig at the 'chosen wealthy few. and class divides ' The duo are asked to investigate /protect the family.

Thus ensues chain of events- tense and dramatic and leaving the reader with the questions as to who can be trusted ... who is deceiving who...? A good balance of thriller action and police procedural

This is a fast paced novel- yes, there may be a sense of suspending belief- but in the world we live in nowadays with megalomaniac billionaires and oligarchs nothing feels to far from the truth. The Netflix/BBC series can be envisaged

This can be read as a standalone story (unless DI Salt should make a welcome return in the future) and is also a great way to be introduced to the legion of readers much-enjoyed Meyrick's Kinloch series.